Those who worked on “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” never anticipated the movie would become the sleeper hit that it did, Lainie Kazan said.

“We never expected it to be as important or successful as it was,” said Kazan, who played mother Maria Portokalos. “We just did a little movie in Toronto. We loved each other and had the best time. We were just shocked that it became such a huge hit.”

In fact, she remembers writer and star Nia Vardalos encouraging her to reach out to the faith community to help promote the 2002 movie during its limited release in order to gain a subsequent wider release.

“I remember Nia calling me and saying … ‘I’ll call all the Greek Orthodox churches and you call the synagogues.’ And that’s what we did,” Kazan said. “We promoted our movie and the next thing you know we were making so much money we didn’t know what to do.”

Because of its success, the cast wasn’t surprised when the call came for the 2016 sequel.

“We knew that was coming,” Kazan said. “We might even do a third one.”

Kazan’s role in that movie is just one of many throughout her storied career on stage and screen. Joined by close friends and fellow actresses and producers Renee Taylor and Connie Stevens, they are ready to dish about their lives in showbiz during Hollywood Confidential at 3 p.m. May 6 at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.

All three appeared in the 1996 film “Love Is All There Is,” with Angelina Jolie and Paul Sorvino. Taylor and her late husband, Joe Bologna, directed the movie.

During the adults only Hollywood Confidential, the three will be interviewed onstage, share film clips and photos and will tell stories about “Hollywood escapades,” she said.

“We’ll tell all about our boyfriends and husbands and lovers and things that have happened in Hollywood behind the scenes,” Kazan said. “We’re going to have fun.”

Kazan first got her big break after serving as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in 1964 for the Broadway production of “Funny Girl.”

“That was my shooting off point,” Kazan said. “I was in the show for a year and a half, and all of a sudden Barbra got sick and I’ll tell you the story when I’m on the stage.”

With her popularity continuing to grow, Kazan was asked to pose for Playboy. In 1970, she posed nude for the magazine.

“I was a hippie. And to me, taking off my clothes was absolutely nothing,” she said. “We all walked around naked or in our underwear. It was about who we were and not what we looked like. And I was an artist and I thought the body was beautiful. I was ok with it — it wasn’t anything lascivious.”

Her appearance in the magazine led her partnering with Hugh Hefner to open, operate and headline at two Playboy jazz clubs: Lainie’s Room East and Lainie’s Room West, with one located in New York and the other in Los Angeles.

“They were wonderful,” Kazan said. “It was the best time of my life.”

Over the years Kazan worked with Taylor many times, including appearances on the sitcom “The Nanny.” Taylor played Sylvia Fine, mother of Fran Drescher’s title character. Kazan played Aunt Freida.

“We’ll tell that story as well,” Kazan said. “I don’t want to give too much away.”

While Kazan has recorded multiple studio albums over the years, she hasn’t had the opportunity to do so recently due to her busy schedule, she said. Currently she is an adjunct professor at University of California Los Angeles, teaching Acting for the Singer.

“It’s been a very hectic schedule and I love it. I love it. It’s wonderful to give back and teach the young people all my lessons that I’ve learned and hopefully they will gain knowledge from it,” she said. “I know we all have to have our own mistakes. But I try really hard to impart my experiences to the students.“